Over the next two days, former health ministers will give evidence before the
Lindsay Blood Tribunal. Today, Barry Desmond (Labour) who was Health Minister
from 1982-87 will be asked about his time at the Department of Health when news
of the infection of over 100 haemophiliacs with HIV emerged. Before these two
witnesses appear, the Tribunal will hear evidence from the former Secretary-General
of the Department, Jerry O' Dwyer.

After Mr Desmond gives evidence, the Tribunal will hear from Dr Rory O' Hanlon
(Fianna Fail) who was Health Minister from 1987-1991. He will be asked about
the negotiations in 1991 which led to the £7.7 million settlement between the
government and haemophiliacs.

Three years earlier the Fianna Fail government fell over the compensation issue.

The Tribunal has already heard evidence from a Department official, Michael
Lyons, that a decision by the government in 1989 to oppose a fund for haemophiliacs,
which led to the collapse of the administration, was based on 'inaccurate' information.
The briefing for government said that there had been no donation related case
of HIV in Ireland.

However the Tribunal has been told that Blood Bank officials knew in 1986 that
infection had been caused by Irish product. Inaccurate information from the
Blood Bank also led Mr Desmond to tell the Dail that all blood products were
heat treated.

Mr Lyons said that a 1986 report suggesting that locally made blood products
were responsible for infecting some haemophiliacs only came to his attention
in 1991, two years after he prepared the crucial ministerial memorandum for
a Dail debate on compensation.